Tackling an Onam meal

I wont call this an Onam sadya because our menu is pretty limited. Not the traditional 21-course meal involving olan, kaalan, erissery etc.

Mira licks the ghee over the parippu curry. She best likes her rice plain without any curry, but today she was willing to try the side dishes - avial, pachchadi, kovakkai fry and cabbage-carrot thoren. I dont force the rest of the menu for the day, save for the pappads and ginger curry, on her.

She is already digging into her rice as she is hungry. She finishes the first helping and goes for the next.

To hell with etiquette. She is more comfortable sitting this way and polishing her banana leaf clean. The empty leaf is for her dad. Ash sits one leaf away - we cant have them sitting too close and fighting.

The skirt-blouse is a lil large for her; her granny gifted it to her on her 2nd birthday. For once, the kids are willing to wear bibs and not dirty their new outfits.